Saturday, February 11, 2012

Valentine Topiary

If you are looking for the Cooking with Cricut Love Song Blog Hop please go HERE

I wanted to share a project with you that I actually made for Valentine's last year, but I didn't have a blog back then so I am sharing it with you now! This is a heart shaped topiary with paper rosettes:
This project was really very simple, but I'm not going to lie- it is very time consuming! To start with you need a heart shaped piece of foam. I wasn't able to find one in a heart shape so I got a big piece of styrofoam, probably 3 inches thick, and then cut a heart from George and Basic Shapes to use as a stencil and I cut it out with a craft knife.

 When I made this topiary Cricut's Flower Shoppe cartridge had not been released yet, and if I had had it this might have been quicker and easier, but you don't need that cart (or Art Philosophy for that matter) in order to make this. I cut a whole bunch of circles in different sizes from George (2"-4") from different Valentine's themed patterned papers (they need to be double sided as both sides will show). Then I cut a spiral and rolled them up into rosettes and secured with a hot glue gun. I used a petal roller tool which made it much easier. Because my heart shape was relatively flat I could have opted to cover only the front with the flowers, and place patterned paper on the back. I actually covered the whole thing with the flowers, but either way would have been fine. I think in the end there were around 100 flowers. 

I then hot glued a pearl in the center of each flower and hot glued them to the Styrofoam base. **Here is my tip for Top Tip Tuesday: One way to make this step a LOT easier would have been to use a pearl topped pin to secure each flower to the foam, but for me buying the pearls and gluing them was MUCH more cost effective, if not more time consuming. 

In the meantime I got a regular Terra cotta pot and painted it pink with acrylic paint. I painted a dowel in the same color and bought some moss. I secured the dowel to the heart and then to a styrofoam base. I filled in the gaps with the moss and added 3 rosettes at the bottom for decoration. I tied a ribbon up the dowel and added some additional pearls. I haven't yet, but you could also add some ribbon, vinyl or other decoration to the pot to make it more decorative. 
So there is my project! I hope you have enjoyed it! I am entering my topiary in the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday - Valentine
Crafty Catz - Pink and white
Wags N Whiskers - home decor 
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Red and pink with ribbon

13 comments:

  1. Heather this is absolutely gorgeous. I made a wreath using Art Philosophy but love your topiary. The flowers are gorgeous and love the way you tied the ribbon. So pretty! Your right it takes a long time but well worth it as this is stunning.

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  2. This is the ultimate!!! I so love this and I really appreciate the work you put into this. I really have hands who hate me so I could NEVER make something this cool. thanks so much for sharing with us at For Fun!!!

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  3. I'm not much of a topiary fan but this one I LIKE! You did a beautiful job. I could see one like this in my space. I'm waiting with a raincheck for the Flower Shoppe cartridge. I might try something like this.
    Rae Ann O.
    http://joyinart.blogspot.com

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  4. WOW this is amazing, there is so much work in this. It is stunning. Thanks for joining Top Tip Tuesday. Elaine

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  5. Wow, your topiary is gorgeous! What an amazing job and very time consuming, I'm sure. It looks fabulous! TFS--Pat N.

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  6. Unfreaking real...this is amazing girlie...wow...the time, the talent...love it...way to go...you are awesome...Love it love it!!

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  7. Blinking heck! Awesome project! love this idea and so glad you now have a blog and can share it!



    Thanks for joining in with us at Top Tip Tuesday Challenge this time, and Great to see you playing along with us at Totally Gorjuss too!

    hugs Samantha :0)

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  8. oh my word this is simply stunning and so much work love it thank you for joining us at crafty catz linda x

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  9. This is absolutely amazing. I'm in awe. I would run screaming from all those little flowers. It is just stunning. Thanks for joining us at For Fun Challenges this week - I loved that you were one that I get a peek at!

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  10. Hi Heather

    A gorgeous and beautiful creation thankyou for sharing this with us this week at CraftyCatz

    Hugs Dianne xx

    CraftyCatz DT

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  11. I don't even know what to say, I'm in shock! I'm so glad that you now have a blog to showcase this gorgeous creation. I'm really impressed that you did it all the old fashioned way before all the wingding gadgets came out. This is an amazing creation and you are quite the dedicated artist!


    Thank you so much for playing along with us at Top Tip Tuesday!
    Remember you can enter up to 3 projects and 3 tips and don't forget our new Caught Our Eye winner post!
    Hugs to you,
    Lisa xx

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  12. What a beautiful project! Thanks so much for participating in our Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge.

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  13. Oh my word,this is such and adorable creation , lovely romantic image and beautiful design

    Thank you so much for joining us at Crafty Catz Valentines Challenge I hope you can join us again next week

    Have a lovely day,
    Good Luck with the challenge,
    Hugs Bridget Crafty Catz DT :-)

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